Tamale making machine



May 21, 1957 I J. A; MAICK'EL TAMALE MAKING-MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1952 11 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR W WM ATTORNEYS.

y 21, 1957 J. A. MAICKEL 2,792,679

TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1952 11 She ets-Sheet 2 Q INVENTOF 41% ;v

BY MJDL 4 %m ATTORNEYJZ May 21, 1957 J. A. MAICKEL TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1952 11 Sheets-Sheet 3 2 n m? m BY fm Jaw fium ATTORNEYS.

May 21, 1957 J. A. MAICKEL TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 12. 1952 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTQR I 2- M ATTORNEYS.

May 21, 1957 J. A; MAICKEL TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed- Dec. 12, 1952 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR I ATTORNEYS.

May 21, 1957 J. A. M'AICKEL TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 12', 1952 11 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORI ATTORNEYS May 21, 1957 J. A. MAICKEL TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1952 ll Sheets-Sheet 7 1/1/11154/IIII/1r!!!471451/11/111914511549415 INVENIOR ATTORNEYS.

May 21, 1957 J. A. MAICKEL TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1952 11 Sheets-Sheet 8 -III F INVENTORI ATTORNEYS.

May 21, 1957 J. A; MAICKEL TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 12, 1952 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR! ATTORNEYS May 21, 1957 J. A. MAICKEL TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Original Filed Dec 12, 1952 11 Sheets-Sheet 1O INVENTORI u fnm ATTORNEYS 11 Sheets-Sheet 11 J. A. MAICKEL.

TAMALE MAKING momma w W BY flmi M f fwm ,v ii .4

May 21, 1957 bri inai Filed Dec. 12, 1952 7 w M L D JT H. 0 w, 3

TAMALE MAKING MACHINE Joseph A. Maickel, Butte, Mont., assignor of one-half to John Truzzolino, Butte, Mont.

Original application December 12, 1952, Serial No. 325,620, now Patent No. 2,764,106, dated September 25, 1956. Divided and this application December 7, 1955, Serial No. 555,219

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 53-195) The present invention relates to a tamale making machine, and more particularly to a machine for combining the ingredients of tamales within wrappings in such manner as to simulate the hand-wrapped tamales. This application is a divisional application of my earlier filed parent application Serial Number 325,620, filed December 12, 1952, now Patent No. 2,764,106.

Objects of the invention are to provide fully automatic machines for the manufacture of tamales of uniform size and composition from pre-cooked ingredients, i. e. corn meal or other cereal, meat, and gravy or sauce. Objects are to provide machines which include a number of stages or stations along which a step-by-step conveyor displaces a series of sleeves or holders in which paper containers for the tamales are placed or formed, the arrangement being such that different ingredients are introduced into the containers at successive stages or stations during intervals between the step-by-step advance of the conveyor, the containers being sealed at the final stage or station, and then discharged from the cups or holders. An object is to provide a tamale making machine in which a container, specifically a paper cylinder which is crimped and closed at its lower end, is moved step-by-step through stations at which, in succession, a layer of corn meal is applied to the container, a measured quantity of cut or ground meat is introduced into the lined container, 21 measured quantity of gravy is introduced into the container, and the top of the container is then crimped and sealed. A further object is to provide an automatic tamale machine of the stated multiple station and stepby-step conveyor type in which the first stations of the machine comprise mechanisms for introducing paper into vertically arranged sleeves or holders of the conveyor to form open-ended cylinders, and then crimping and sealing the lower ends of suchcylinders to form containers for receiving the tarnale ingredients. More specifically, an object is to provide an automatic tamale machine of the stated characteristics in which the various mechanisms at the several stations of the apparatus are energized by power devices of air cylinder type which are synchronized for appropriately timed operation by valves actuated by cams on a shaft geared to a shaft which actuates the step-by-step conveyor.

These and other objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an automatic tamale making machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, on a larger scale, of the paper roll and associated mechanism for feeding a paper cylinder into a sleeve or holder of the conveyor;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation, on the same enlarged scale, of the paper roll and the knife for severing the paper; 1 Fig. 5 is a bottom view, on the support for the paper roll, and the cutting knife;

- a still larger scale, of the paperfeed mechanism United States Patenti'o ice Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary vertical sections on the same scale as Fig. 5 of the paper feed mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal section on line 88 of Fig. 6;

Figs. 9 to 11 are fragmentary plan views illustrating successive stages of the movement of the paper pushing mechanism which completes the introduction of the sevcred paper into the sleeve or holder of the conveyor;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the same with the pusher mechanism in the position illustrated in Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is a vertical transverse section of the mechanism for crimping and sealing the lower end of the paper cylinder into which a tamale is to be introduced;

Figs. 14 and 15 are fragmentary plan views of the crimping and sealing mechanism in open and closed positions respectively;

Fig. 16 is a vertical transverse section, on a larger scale than that of Figs. 1 and 2, of the mechanism for lining the paper container with a layer of cornmeal;

Fig. 16:: is a fragmentary vertical section on a still larger scale showing the corn meal nozzle within a paper tamale container;

Fig. 16b is a bottom elevation of the corn meal nozzle;

Fig. 17 is a vertical transverse section, on the same scale as Fig. 16, of the mechanism for introducing a measured quantity of meat into the lined paper container;

Figs. 18 and 19 are fragmentary horizontal sections on lines 18-18 and 19-19, respectively, of Fig. 17;

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary plan view of the meat hopper and associated apparatus as shown in Fig. 17;

Fig. 21 is a fragmentary plan view of the mechanism for imparting step-by-step advances to the meat hopper;

Fig. 22 is a fragmentary front elevation of the same, with parts shown in section;

Fig. 23 is a fragmentary vertical section, as seen from the rear of the machine, of the mechanism for advancing the conveyor and the meat container;

Fig. 24 is a transverse vertical section of the same as seen on the plane indicated by section line 24-24 of Fig. 23;

Figs. 25 and 26 are fragmentary perspective views of the conveyor advancing pawl and associated elements as seen from above and below, respectively;

Fig. 27 is a fragmentary perspective view of the slide for actuating the pawl and ratchet drive of the meat con tainer, and showing the slide pawl which connects the slide to the conveyor-advancing mechanism;

Fig. 28 is a vertical transverse section of the apparatus for introducing gravy into the paper container;

Fig. 29 is a fragmentary view showing some elements of Fig. 28 in gravy-feeding position;

Fig. 30 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section of the mechanism for crimping and sealing the upper end of the tamale wrapper orpaper container;

Fig. 31 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the camactuated valve system for controlling the operation of the several air cylinders of the machine; and

Fig. 32 is a vertical section through the same.

The construction and method of operation of the apparatus can be best understood by first describing the general arrangement and the functions of the major elements of the complete apparatus.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the reference char-- acters A to F identify generically successive stations or major components of the apparatus at which wrappers for the tamales are progressively formed, filled and sealed. The wrappers or tamale containers are supported in sleeves or holders of an endless conveyor which is driven with a step-by-step motion in such manner that each holderis advanced from station to station by the successive step displacements of the conveyor. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the holders are openendedvertically arranged sleeves and the sequence of operations-at the-several stations is as follows: Paper isfed into the holder at station A to form a multiple layer tubular liner for the holder, and the lower end of the paper tube is crimpedand sealed at station B to form a cylindrical container for receiving the tamale ingredients. At stationC, a measured quantity of corn meal is introduced into the paper container as a lining or coating on thebottom and the cylindrical wall of the container. A measured quantity or" meat is introduced into the lined container at station D, and a measured quantity of gravy or sauce is introduced at station E. At station F, the top ofthepaper cylinder'is crimped and sealed, and the completed tamale drops fromthe holder as it moves beyond thestation F.

The conveyor and the equipment at the several stations are supported upon any suitable framing which, as shown, comprises rails 1, 1 supported on sets of legs 1 which are connected by upper and lower sets of crossbars 2, 2 respectively, the several members being of angle or other structural steel form.

The conveyor The conveyor chain comprises a series of plates 3 and links 4 which are pivotally connected by pins 5, see Fig. 9, and the upper run of the conveyor is supported and guided by rails 6, 6 on the upper crossbars 2, 2 while the lower run is similarly supported by rails 6', 6' mounted on the lower crossbars 2, 2' of the frame. Alternate plates 3 of the conveyor chain are provided with angle brackets 7 which carry holders 8 in which the wrappings or containers for the tamales are to be formed or placed. The holders are of sleeve form as they have open-ended cylindrical bores therethrough which are vertically ar ranged when the holders are at the upper or operative run. of the chain conveyor, and tangential entrance slots 8 extend from the central bore to the rear faces of the holders.

The conveyor chain passes around idler pulleys 9, 9 supported by means, not shown, at opposite ends of the frame, and the upper run is periodically advanced from right to left, as viewed in the drawings, by steps each equal to the spacing between two adjacent holders 8. A

motor 10 is supported on the framing by means, not

shown, and through a V-belt 11 and pulley 12 drives a worm 12; in mesh with a gear 14 on a shaft 15, Fig. l. The linkage for driving the conveyor is shown in larger scale in Figs. 22 to 27 inclusive, but the general, construction and method of operation will be apparent from Fig. l. A crank arm 16 on shaft l is coupled by a link 17 to a frame having side bars 18 whose lower endsare pivoted on the framing by links 19 and whose upper ends are pivoted to a slide 20 which moves along and is guided by the rails 6, 6 of the upper conveyor track. A pawl 21 is pivoted on the side 26 to engage, and to displace towards the left, a plate-3 of the conveyor chain upon counterclockwise movement of the bars 18 by the crank arm 16. On reversemovement of the crank arm, the pawl 21 tilts to move idly towards the right without imparting movement to the conveyor chain.

Station A-Paper tube forming Theequipment at station A of the apparatus is illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive. A disk or plate 22 for supporting a roll R of paper-P isrotatably mounted upon a strap 23 secured between adjacent crossbars 2, 2, and is-provided with an axial sleeve 24 terminating in a shaft 25 which has its lower end journalled in the strap 23; The upper end of the shaft 25 is journalled ina bearing 26- carried by a-supporting arm 26' which is detachably mountedon a standard 26" extending vertically upwardfrom another cross strap 27, which is supported-" upon the crossbars2; 2. A tensioning drum 28011;

which is adjustable through link 30 and bell-crank lever 31 on crossbar 2 and ascrew 32. Y

The paper strip P from the roll R passes over a guid 33 on the strap 27, between feed rolls 34, 35 with meshing drive gears 36, 37 respectively, and further guides 33 to enter the slot 8' of the holder 8 at station A, as shown in Fig. 3. Gear 36 of feed roll 34 meshes with and is driven by a gear38 on shaft 39 which is connected by a one-Way clutch 4b to a gear 41 that is driven by a rack 42 actuated by an air cylinder 4.3.. Reverse movement of the drive gear 41 and the cup element 46' of the clutch is prevented by a friction brake 44 which engages the element l A knife 45 for severing the; paper strip P is, actuated by an air cylinder 46 mounted upon a bracket 47, the knife being supportedviu g uides 48. and constrained to linear movement by spring pressed plungers 49. The length of the paper strip P which is severed by the knife 45 issufii'cient to form twocomplete turns within a holder 8-, but the-severed end-is initially outside of the holder 8, seeFig. 9'. During the step advance of the holder 8 from station A to station B, a U-shaped pusher arm 51 isactuated' by its air cylinder 52 to engage the paper strip above and below the holder and complete the entry of the strip into the cylindrical bore of the holder, Figs. 9 to 12. The lower end of the paper strip or tube is supported by a rail- 53 during its introduction into the holder and transport to station B.

Station B-C0ntainer forming The mechanism for crimping and sealing the lower end of the" paper tube to form a paper cup or container PC for the tamale is shown in detail in Figs. 13 to 15, and is of known type for'crimping a tube and applying a sealing ring'of'wire.

A- cylindrical former or mandrel 54 with a rounded nose'i's depressed by'an air cylinder 55 to enter the paper tube and prevent collapse of the same during the crimping operation, the cylinder being mounted upon a bar 56 se cured to the framing of the station C equipment. Opposed crimping jaws 57, 58 are supported from racks 59, 6tl'-by struts 61, 62 respectively for movement in a horizontal plane at adesired distance above the guide rail 53 and the lower end of the paper tube. The racks mesh with an idler gear 63 and therefore are moved in opposite" directions by the piston rod 64 of the air cylinder 65, thepiston rod being connected to one of the-struts, for example strut 62, bya pin 66; The crimp ing jaw'57' is of laminated construction and includes an anvil 57 between two outer plates, and the crimping jaWSS'is-similarly laminated and includes a hammer 58, slidablebetween two outer plates and secured to, the piston 67 of an air-cylinder 68- which is supported upon the jaw 58 by a strap 69. A magazine 70 for u-shaped wire staples, 71 is secured to the supporting frame by means, not shown, and a carrier 72 for the staples is secured to a band'or wire 73'that is tensioned by a coiled spring-74;

Air is supplied'to the cylinders 55; 65 and 68 in timed sequence to introduce the former 54 into the paper tube, to close the crimping jaws,,to set or crimp a staple71 aboutthe'bunched end of the paper tube, and the pressure airis-then exhausted from the cylinders simultaneously or in the reverse order.

On movement of, the paper container PC beyond sta tion B, it is guided and supported by a pair of parallel guide rails or bars 53' that are mounted upon the frame structure by yokes 75'.

Station C-Liningcontainer with corn meal 1 The-apparatus of'stationC for introducing the cooked corn meal or other cereal into the containers PC is shown on an enlarged scale in Fig, 16. A tank 76ifor thecookedmeal is supportedupon the main framework by a frame orskeleton" support comprising uprights.

m te-9 and cross members 77'. The tank has a removable cover 78, and pressure is applied to the material in the tank76 by a piston 79 and air cylinder 80 which are mounted on the cover, and measured charges of corn meal are discharged through the outlet pipe 81 under the control of a rotary sleeve valve and feed pump. The outlet pipe 81 opens into the feed pump cylinder 82, and the rotary valve 83 is a sleeve or lining within the cylinder 82 and has a port 83 which alines with the outlet pipe, as shown in Fig. 16, at the beginning and at'the end of the operation of the apparatus. The valve 83 is provided with a crank arm 84 connected to the piston rod 85 of air cylinder 86, see Fig. 1, for rocking the valve to move its port 83' out of alinement with the outlet pipe 81 of the supply tank 76. The plunger 87 of the feed pump is slidable in the rotary valve 83 and actuated by an air cylinder 87' in timed relation to the movement of the rotary valve.

The pump cylinder 82 mechanically supports and opens into a transfer cylinder 88 in which a hollow feed nozzle is supported for sliding and rotary movement. The upper tubular portion 89 of the assembly has a sliding fit in cylinder 88 and is provided with a port 89' which alines with the feed pump cylinder 82 when the assembly is in lowermost position, and the lower tubular portion 90 of the nozzle assembly is of lesser diameter and coaxial with the upper portion 89. The lower portion 90 constitutes the nozzle element per se, and it has a longitudinal slot 91 along its entire length and closed at its lower end except for a pair of small outlet openings 92. The upper end of the tube 89 is closed by a head 93 which is connected to the piston of an air cylinder 94 by a hollow piston rod 95 which extends through and projects above the air cylinder 94. A shaft 96 is journalled in the hollow piston rod 95 and has its lower end threaded into a spider or apertured washer'97 to which the nozzle 90 is secured. The shaft 96 extends above the air cylinder 94 and has a conical clutch element 98 fixed thereto in 'such position as to engage a cooperating conical clutch element 99 when the nozzle assembly is in lowermost position. Clutch element 99 is carried by a pulley 101 which is journalled on the hollow piston rod 95 and continuously rotated by a belt 102 and a motor 103 that is supported on posts 104. The hollow piston rod 95 is splined or otherwise prevented from rotation by any convenient means, not shown, since the upper tubular portion 89 of the corn meal nozzle assembly must be restricted to a rectilinear sliding motion to bring its inlet port 89 into alinement with the feed cylinder 82 when the nozzle assembly is moved into lowermost position by the air cylinder 94.

' On arrival of an empty container PC at station C, pressure air is introduced into cylinder 86 to close the rotary valve 83 and into cylinder 94 to lower the feed nozzle assembly to aline the port 89' of the nozzle assembly with the feed cylinder 82. The clutch 98, 99 is engaged when the nozzle assembly reaches this position and pressure air is then introduced into the cylinder87 to force a measured charge of corn meal into the container PC. The corn meal is thrown outwardly and compacted by the rotating nozzle 90 to form a relatively firm lining of uniform density and thickness within the container PC. Pressure air is then'released in sequence from cylinders 94, 86 and 87" to lift the, nozzle assembly, open the rotary va'1ve83, and withdraw the feed pujmp' plunger 87 to draw a new charge of corn meal from the tank 76. The lin d con a nc may now be moved to the next station for the introduction of the cooked meat.

Station DFeeding meat into the lined container The equipment at station D is shown in Figs. 17 to 27 inclusive.

The container for the cooked meat, ground or cut to desired size, is a tank 105 having a conical bottom 106 at its central portion for directing the fluent material into the, cylindrical opeirendd measuring cups 107 whichlare uniformly spaced around the peripheral portion of the bottom wall of the tank and are normally closed at their lower ends by engagement wtih a horizontal plate 108. The meat tank is supported by a shaft 109 which is journalled in a frame 111 supported upon one or more of the crossbars 2 of the main frame. The bottom plate 108 is secured to'the frame 111 by angle brackets 112 and has a circular discharge port 113 in vertical alinement with the rest position of a container holder 8 be tween step advances of the conveyor. The outer end of a valve plate 114 for controlling the discharge port 113 is located in a slot in a bracket 115 and has a transverse slot for receiving the valve-operating strip 116 which is secured to the piston rod 117 of an air cylinder 118 and extends through a slotted guide 119 mounted upon the strap 121 which supports the air cylinder on the tank 105. The lower end 116 of the valve operating strip 116 is twisted through 45 and turns the valve plate through the angle to clear the discharge port before the feed plunger 122 on the piston rod 117 moves into the measuring cup 107 then alined with port 113 to discharge its contents into the' container in the associatedholder 8.

To advance the tank.105 step-by-step to move a filled measuring cup 107 into line with the discharge port .113 of the plate 108, a ratchet wheel 123 with teeth of the same number as the measuring cups 107,. which is six as illustrated, is fixed to the shaft 109. A lever 124 is journalled on shaft 109 and carries a pawl 125 which is yieldingly urged into engagement with the ratchet teeth by a spring 126. The outer end of the lever 124 is slotted to receive a pin or stud 127 fixed in a slide 128 that is reciprocated by the linkage which imparts a step-by step advance to the conveyor. The slide is guided by brackets 129 secured to crossbars 2 of the machine frammg.

As shown in Figs. 24 to 26, the bars 18 are connected by cross members 130 and 130', the lever 17 being pivotally connected to the cross member 130 and the slide .20 being secured to the cross member 130' and guided for reciprocation by the rails 6 and lower rails 6". The slide 128 has a pawl or lug 131 secured thereto which projects into the path of the cross member 130 and is moved thereby towards the left, Figs. 2, 21 and 22, on a step advance of the conveyor, thereby moving the lever 124 into the full line positions shown in Figs. 20 and 21. The slide pawl or lug 131 is connected to the rear link 18 by a chain or other flexible connection 132 and clockwise movement of the links 18 in the intervals between step advances of the conveyor therefore shifts the slide 128 towards the right to move the lever 124 into the dotted line positions shown in Figs. 20 and 2.1. The meat container 105 is thus advanced one step, simultaneously With a step advance of the conveyor, to bring a filled cup 107 into vertical alinement with the dwell position of a tamale container which was lined with corn meal at the preceding stage of the machine.

1 As shown in Figs. 25 and 26, the pawl 21 of the conveyor advancing mechanism is pivotally supported by a pin 133 on the slide 20 which is secured to the cross member 130'. i

Station EIntroducti0n of gravy cylinder for a feed plunger 140. The casing 138 sup' ports and opens int-o a cylinder 141 in which a feed nozzle 142 may be reciprocated by an air cylinder 143. The nozzle 142 has a bore therethrough which extends upwardly from a removable outlet member 144 to a portv or inlet 145 which alines with the feed pump 138 when the nozzle is in lowermost position. The rotary valve 139 is actuated by an air cylinder 146, through piston rod-.147 and crank arm 148, to close the gravy tank outlet 137 before the pump plunger 140 is displaced by its air cylinder 149 to discharge a measured charge of gravy into the tamale container. On release of pressure air from cylinder 143 to lift the feed nozzle, air is released from cylinder 146 to open the rotary valve 139, and air is then released from cylinder 149 to withdraw the feed pump plunger 140 and draw a fresh charge of gravy into the casing 138.

Station F-Container closing The apparatus at station F for closing the top of the filled container PC, as shown in Fig. 30, may be, and preferably is, an inversion of the crimping and stapling apparatus shown in detail in Figs. 13 to 15. The opposed crimping jaws 156, 151 are actuated by an air cylinder 152, see Fig. 2, and racks as shown in Fig. 13, and, except that the staple holder 153 extends above the crimping jaws, the apparatus at station F may be substantially as previously illustrated and described.

On movement of the conveyor to carry the filled and closed containers PC beyond the supporting rails 53', they drop from the holders 8 into a hopper, not shown, from which they are removed for packing in appropriate containers.

Synchronization of operations The supply of pressure air for actuating each of the described air cylinders is controlled by an air valve assembly 154, see Figs. 31 and 32, and it is presently preferred to provide a separate valve for each air cylinder even though two or more of the air cylinders are, or may be, simultaneously energized and de-energized during a one-step movement of the conveyor. The several air valves aremounted upon a plate 155 at the rear of the main supporting frame, see Fig. 2, and are of identical and known construction. The body or casing of each valve is preferably of hexagonal cross-section for convenience in mounting and the provision of air line connections, and has a cylindrical bore therethrough in which a piston valve 156 with two axially spaced radial flanges is slidably mounted. The piston valve is provided with a roller or cam follower 157 which is retained in contact with a cam 158 by a spring 159 seated between the upper end of the piston valve 156 and a vented nut 161 threaded into the upper end of the body of the valve 154. Air lines are tapped into the valve body at three axially spaced openings, the central pipe line 162 leading to a pressure manifold 163 and preferably including a cut-off valve 164, and the outer pipe lines 165, 166 extending to and opening into the opposite ends of the associated air cylinder.

The piston valve 156 has two end positions which are determined by the contour of the associated cam 158 for selectively supplying pressure air to one end of the associated air cylinder and venting the other end of the cylinder to atmosphere. All of the cams 158 are secured to a shaft 167 provided with a bevel gear 168 in mesh with a bevel gear 169 on the shaft which carries the crank arm 16 of the linkage for. imparting a step-by-step advance. to the conveyor. The fhigh and low sections of the several cams 158 are of such relative extent as to energize the associated air. cylinders for a desired fraction of, a one-step movement of the conveyor, and the G relative angular displacement of the different sections of the several cams determines the sequence of operation of the several air cylinders.

The method of operation of a tamale making machine embodying the invention will be apparent from the above detailed description of the operation of the apparatus at each stage of the complete assembly.

It is presently preferred to employ air cylinders for actuating the movable elements of the several stages but it is apparent that solenoids or equivalent electroma netic means could be employed to displace some or all of the movable elements which control the operation of the assembly. In the following claims, the term fpower means as employed to identify an air cylinder is to be understood as of broad scope and including motor or power means of electromagnetic type.

The full advantages of automatic operation are attained with the described apparatus which includes the station A for withdrawing paper from a roll and inserting it in holders 8 as a paper tube, and the station B for closing the lower end of the tube to form a container for a tamale, but it is apparent that the equipment at the following stations could be employed to fill and close containers of paper or plastic material which are inserted in the holders 8 in advance of the station C or which are formed at station B by crimping staples upon the lower ends of preformed tubes of paper or plastic material inserted in the holders in advance of station B.

It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the complete apparatus as herein shown and described but that variations therefrom are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for making tamales, the combination with a conveyor and means for imparting a step-by'step advance through a plurality of uniformly spaced stations, holders for food containers on said conveyor at points so spaced that the holders are positioned at successive stations at successive dwell periods of the step-by-step advance of said conveyor, said holders being each of sleeve form with a vertically extending cylindrical bore having an entrance slot extending tangentially therefrom through a wall of the holder; of means for supporting a roll of paper at a conveyor station, means for withdrawing paper from a roll and feeding through the entrance of a holder to form a tube of more than one complete layer, and means for cutting the withdrawn paper from the roll during the dwell period during which it was fed into the holder, the cut edge of the paper being at the exterior of the holder; means operable during the next step ad vance of the conveyor to move the cut edge of the paper into the cylindrical bore of the holder; and means at the next conveyor station and operable during the next dwell period to close and seal the lower end of the paper tube to form a container.

2. In a machine for making tamales, the invention as recited in claim 1, wherein the machine includes a series of stations following the said next conveyor station at which the lower end of said paper tube is closed and sealed, means operable at, eachof a plurality of said seriesof stations for introducing measured quantities of food products into the containers during successive dwell periods of the conveyor, and means at the last of said series of stations for closing and sealing the top end of the container.

No references cited. 

